This is the third installment in a series of previews of breweries pouring at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival, which opens Thursday. We’ve invited beer writers from across the country to recommend breweries from their respective regions and single out a few breweries from anywhere they’re eager to check out. Next up, covering the Mid-Atlantic, is Daniel Fromson, a copy editor for the website of The New Yorker, a regular beer columnist for The Washington Post, and the author of the new e-book “Finding Shakespeare,” the true story of one man’s obsessive search for the mythical British accent spoken by the playwright himself. Here are Dan’s picks for GABF 2013:

3 Stars Brewing
Named after the most salient feature of the flag of the District of Columbia, 3 Stars, the only D.C. brewery at this year’s GABF, is notable as a benchmark of just how far the craft-brewing movement has come: a few years ago, the nation’s capital contained no production breweries, and now there are four. Nearly as stellar as this overall trend are the brewery’s beers: try one of the saisons it might bring, such as one laced with Citra hops and lemon peel, or its rich imperial porter, the Pandemic.

Lost Rhino Brewing
One of the great pleasures of living in D.C. until earlier this year was the steady availability of Lost Rhino beers at my local, Meridian Pint. But nostalgia isn’t the only reason I love this Northern Virginia brewery: its easy-drinking pilsners (the Rhino Chasers, and in particular the Zlaty) and citrusy hoppy beers (like the MIG—My Imaginary Girlfriend) are rock-solid.

Peekskill Brewery
If you’ve already heard my friend Joshua M. Bernstein singing Peekskill’s praises, forgive me, but the name of this hops-centric upstart—staffed by Jeff “The Chief” O’Neil, who set himself apart at Ithaca Beer Company with creations like Flower Power and Brute—is on every beer-loving New Yorker’s lips. I have yet to have a middling Peekskill beer, but my favorite might be his intensely aromatic session IPA, Lower Standard.

Forest & Main Brewing
Full disclosure: I haven’t sampled the beers of this Greater Philly establishment, but I’m including it based on the advice of a couple of trusted friends—plus the fact that I’m in love with the notion of a brewpub based in a large Victorian house, not to mention one specializing in funky and barrel-aged farmhouse ales, schlepping its beers all the way to Denver. Philadelphia Magazine also gave Forest & Main the Best Brewpub nod in its 2012 Best of Philly issue, no small feat in an area that is also home to the Nodding Head and Dock Street Brewing, each of which won multiple medals at last year’s GABF.

Union Craft Brewing
The most intriguing Maryland brewery at this year’s festival, Baltimore’s two-year-old Union Craft, is a winner in my book (whether it actually medals or not), thanks to its malty, fruity Balt Altbier and its Old Pro Gose, a version of the nearly extinct German style laced with acidity and salt. But there’s reason to believe these guys might take some gold, silver, or bronze back to the Chesapeake: the altbier won first place last year, and the gose is based on a prizewinning Gordon Biersch recipe.

Devils Backbone Brewing Co.
My inclusion of Virginia’s Devils Backbone (both the “Outpost” production facility and “Basecamp” brewpub) may come as no surprise to GABF veterans: the judges have honored it consistently since its founding in late 2008, presenting it with multiple medals every year except one—including, last year, a whopping eight plus Small Brewpub of the Year honors. A tried-and-true favorite is the Vienna lager.

Other breweries I’m looking forward to:

• Alpha-acid fatigue be damned, GABF is always a fantastic chance to load up on California IPAs. This year I’ll be hanging around AleSmith, Beachwood, and the various Pizza Port booths.
• The Blackberry Farm Brewery, affiliated with the award-winning Tennessee hotel and restaurant of the same name, impressed me at this year’s Savor festival with its Slow Food aesthetic and its rustic saison. Can’t wait to taste what else this tiny producer has been up to.
• The piney, tropical fruit-packed Head Hunter IPA from Fat Head’s Brewery, of Ohio, has been my go-to beer during my regular trips to Pittsburgh, and a wet-hopped version of their Trail Head Pale Ale recently wowed me. When it comes to hops, these guys can do no wrong.
• Austin’s Live Oak Brewing might not specialize in sexy styles, but there are few better GABF palate-cleansers than its pilsner and hefeweizen.
• Zombie Dust, from Indiana’s Three Floyds, gets all the pale-ale hype, but just across the state border, in Chicago, a rival has emerged: Daisy Cutter, from Half Acre Beer Company. The occasional bootlegged can was a D.C. pleasure, and I’m ready to try everything Half Acre brings.

Our new iPad app serves as a guide to metro Denver’s bountiful breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, the holy trinity of craft beer enjoyment for followers and fans. Download the app for iPad .
Next time you head for a beer in Boulder, don’t forget your friend, Beers of Boulder and Boulder County, an iPad app from the Daily Camera. Download the app for iPad .

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In Colorado, our pint glasses overflow with excellent beer. New breweries, new batches, festivals every other week. How lucky are we? First Drafts is The Denver Post's beer blog aimed at helping you keep tabs on the state's ever-expanding craft beer culture. We offer a mash of news, event coverage, homegrown stories, tasting notes and tips to help you imbibe. Expert drinker or homebrewer? Let us know what you're loving about Colorado's beer scene. Not sure exactly what a firkin is? No worries, let us be your guide. Go ahead. Belly up and drink it in!